The cryosphere collectively describes elements of the Earth System containing water in its frozen state and includes solid precipitation, snow cover, sea ice, lake and river ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, permafrost, and seasonally frozen ground. The Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) should enhance the capability of the research community and operational services to predict the future state of the cryosphere.

The ANNUAL Meeting of the CRAICC Project, Cryosphere-Atmosphere Interactions in a Changing Arctic Climate, is held in Iceland between Oct 10 and 14, 2011. On behalf of IMO the project SVALI, Stability and Variations of Arctic Land Ice, is presented, and a field trip arranged.

05.10.2011. Earthquakes are taking place in the Katla volcano, within the volcano's caldera, which is covered by the Mýrdalsjökull ice-cap. The current period of unrest began in July 2011 when a short-lived glacial flood burst from Mýrdalsjökull in connection with increased seismicity. Since then, several hundred micro-earthquakes have taken place within the area of the caldera.

The Icelandic government approved
on August 26th a proposal for the preparation of a general risk assessment regarding volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Studies indicate that volcanic activity in Iceland rises
and falls.

The April 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull represented the first modern-day opportunity in Iceland to study jökulhlaups from an ice-capped stratovolcano. On Thursday 25 August 2011, flooding issues from the eruption were explored in an interactive workshop, held at IMO.

The jökulhlaup (glacier-outburst flood) which came from Mýrdalsjökull early morning Saturday 9th July, and swept away a bridge over Múlakvísl, came from ice cauldrons in southeastern part of the Katla volcano.

The eruption site was observed during a flight yesterday evening. Water is clearly seen in the fissure. The eruptive activity is now concentrated at two small vents surrounded by a thin circle of tephra.

Iceland will become ECMWF’s nineteenth Member State. As a full Member State, Iceland will acquire full voting rights at the ECMWF Council from the date of entry into force of the agreement. The agreement will enter into force on the first day of the second month following the deposit of its instrument of accession.

Are you a PhD student with an interest in adaptive management in relation to climate change? NONAM and FIVA organize a PhD summer school in Copenhagen in August. Deadline for registration is 30 April 2011. Applicants must include a brief description of their PhD or research project and a recommendation from their supervisor supporting their participation.

The weather in Iceland was highly unusual in 2010. This applies especially to the South and West parts of the country where the year was one of the warmest and driest on record and the snowfall was unusually light. The barometric pressure reached the highest annual value on record. The climate was very favourable and windstorms markedly fewer than usual.